Project Carthage Files
by MauroC42
Summary: The backstory of Franz Hopper and Project Carthage, as told by a series of short files and pieces of Franz's diary.
1. Scientist File 19

**SCIENTIST FILE #19**

 **WALDO FRANZ SCHAEFFER**

* * *

 **Born** : June 6th, 1943, Switzerland.

 **Family** : Anthea Schaeffer (wife), Aelita Schaeffer (daughter)

 **Background:** Waldo Franz Schaeffer was the son of a brilliant German engineer, Ernst Schaeffer, who was of the same generation as Albert Einstein. After serving in World War I, Ernst moved to Switzerland in the 1920s, hoping to stay away from the political conflict after the Treaty of Versailles. He estabilished a family and Waldo was born in 1943. Shortly after World War II, the Schaeffers emigrated to the United States, hoping that they could find the same success that so many other German scientists had. Their plan did not succeed, but they managed to afford tuition for Waldo, who graduated as an engineer, much like his father. Waldo was one of the pioneers in working with communications and computers, and was called to work with the US Government in 1968, at the height of the Cold War, leading projects regarding computer intelligence and satellites. He married Anthea Hopper in 1975 and has recently had a daughter.

 **Role:** As one of the leading scientists in Project Carthage, Waldo has been tasked with designing and supervising the construction of the Scipio quantum supercomputer, which is to be built in France. He is scheduled to move there next year.

 **Observations:** Although Waldo was enthusiastic about Carthage, all members of the Project are to remain wary of him. He appears to have very pacifist political views, and as such, seems to view Carthage as a mean that could possibly bring the United States and the Soviet Union closer. He still believes that the Project's goal is to create an information network for the West - at most, he suspects of Carthage's power to disrupt enemy communications. But even that is far from the Project's true ambition. Schaeffer must not know about our true intentions. Since he shall be working largely unsupervised in France, special attention is required.

* * *

 **SCIENTIST FILE #20...**


	2. November 15th, 1989

**FRANZ HOPPER'S DIARY**

 **NOVEMBER 15TH, 1989**

* * *

It's over. Reagan won. We won.

It's been more than a week since the Berlin Wall fell. Gorbachev has been conducting a series of reforms for a few years now. I'm sure the Soviet Union's days are counted. It's victory for the free world, I guess. I victory for peace.

That's why I don't get it. Why they didn't stop this project.

I was naive. I thought that Carthage, I thought that I... could do something to stop this madness. And yet all I ever saw during my work in the Government was Vietnam. Father always told me about the horrors of war. It's why we moved to Switzerland, even though I don't remember being there. I was only 3 when we went to the US. It's also what I read in the history books about the Nazis. I should have suspected there were no good guys in this story.

During the course of my work, I think I discovered what they were planning. Intercepting and disrupting electromagnetic communications isn't restricted to satellites and waves. It's more. A lot more. Wires. Cables. Appliances. Maybe what scares me most... brain waves. Synapses.

I just wanted to create a better world. A world without danger. And here am I, this naive fool, having made the world an even worse place. I can't go through with this. It's not the world I want for my dear Aelita.

I have to stop this madness, no matter what the cost. Project Carthage has become too dangerous. And I know that, from this day on, my very life, my own family... they're at risk. But it's what needs to be done.

* * *

 **NOVEMBER 16TH, 1989...**


	3. March 2nd, 1983

**WALDO SCHAEFFER'S DIARY**

 **MARCH 2ND, 1983**

* * *

Well, it's the start of a new life for us. France is such a beautiful place, even though I'm still having problems with the language. At least Anthea's here to help me.

Construction of the new quantum supercomputer has already begun. The government bought an old Renault factory located in an island in the Seine. The factory is still going to work for some 9 or 10 years, as to not blow away our cover. For now, though, all they're doing is digging underground the factory.

We got a nice, secluded house in the woods. That's why we've decided to call it the "Hermitage". Even though it's somewhat isolated, it's a nice place, and we're comforable in it. Little Aelita loves when I play her the piano. There is also a secret passage to the sewers that will lead directly to the factory, allowing me quick transport in case of an emergency.

Ever since my father passed away a few years ago, I also inherited his winter house in Switzerland. We're planning to visit and take Aelita there as soon as possible. It was a lovely place, I remember when Father used to take us there on vacation. Anthea is also very fond of the place.

For my cover-up story, I got a job as a science teacher at a nearby school, the Kadic Academy. The principal, Mr. Delmas, is a very nice man. He's currently engaged and even invited me to his wedding next year. I'm sure it'll be a pleasure.

The government has recommended that I use a different name for all my public dealings here. I made up a new identity for me. The principal knows me as Monsieur Franz Hopper.

I hope this happiness we found here can last yet for many years, and that we may have success with Project Carthage.

* * *

 **MARCH 3RD, 1983...**


	4. Presentation 3

**PROJECT CARTHAGE**

 **PRESENTATION #3**

 **JULY 13TH, 1981**

* * *

Every day we see further proof that the third millenium will be one of communications.

The world grew smaller with the advent of the telegraph. Messages could be sent over long distances in record time. Right after came the telephone and the radio. The importance of communications interception and encrypting was made clear in World War II. Soon after, radio and television opened up new spaces for communications in media. And again, the Cold War has shown the importance of information intelligence and espionage.

Our most recent projects point to the development of something that could revolutionize our communication and existence. A way to share and acess information almost instantly. A network that allows people far away to be connected. We have recently taken up calling it "the Internet".

For now, it is restricted to millitary and research purposes only. But we suspect that it might not be long until it turns public, and revolutionizes our entire existence.

But such things are merely a briefing on the state of affairs. They are merely a preambulum to our latest undertaking: Project Carthage. "Carthage" as in the city that was taken by the roman general Scipio during the Punic Wars, and as we shall do to the eastern bloc and the Soviets.

The premise is rather simple: Project Carthage aims to totally disrupt enemy communications. Currently, all comunication is done mostly by underground wiring, although, most recently, wireless communication via electromagnetic waves and satellites has been gaining terrain. So, the idea is to use something that can interfere and manipulate these electromagnetical impulses and waves, thus halting all possibility of enemy communications. We plan to achieve this with a quantum supercomputer, which, using its processing and long-range satellites, will be able to send and manipulate impulses on the enemy territory.

We do not know yet where the supercomputer will be located, although most probably overseas, thus guaranteeing a better range of operation. Scouting for potential scientists and researchers has already begun.

With the increased military budget that was promised, we believe that Project Carthage will have absolute success in showing the triumph and superiority of the free world and ending whatever ambitions the communists might still hold.

* * *

 **PROJECT CARTHAGE**

 **BRIEFING #152...**


	5. Notes on Presentation 3

**PROJECT CARTHAGE**

 **NOTES ON PRESENTATION #3**

* * *

Project Carthage has so much more potential than they realize. Oh, there is so much shortsightedness around us.

Manipulating electromagnetical impulses can be so much more than just disrupting communications. For a start, we could manipulate electricity supplies. Then, their machine operations. Brain waves, who knows. It would be possible to create our own army inside their borders.

Hell, if we had the right technology and knowledge, we could even manipulate atoms. Matter. Use the impulses to simply materialize something in front of us, in plain sight. Make things go through walls.

I'm pretty illiterate about physics, but these quantum scientists go on talking like almost anything could be possible, with the right ingredients for disaster. Screwing around with this quantum stuff with the precision of a computer might be just what we need.

If we can get this to work, Project Carthage might just be the most powerful weapon to have ever existed. But all of this must remain in absolute secrecy. Spies are everywhere, and we don't want any of our scientists turning on us.

* * *

(the rest of the paper is filled with technical security nonsense.)


	6. January 9th, 1990

**FRANZ HOPPER'S DIARY**

 **JANUARY 9TH, 1990**

* * *

Anthea's gone. I can hardly believe it.

And they did it on our holiday trip to our house in Switzerland, too. The bastards.

Well... it's the only property I currently have in the name of Waldo Schaeffer. It's the only way they could have reached us. But I didn't think they'd be so fast. And right in front of Aelita, too...

They must be pissed that they didn't put me under more surveillance. Even though it was their recommendation, they don't know about Franz Hopper. Or the Hermitage, or Kadic. I'm safe in those places, but I don't know for how long. I'm sure they'll interrogate Anthea... but I trust in her. She wouldn't want anything bad to happen to our Aelita.

I promised them I would comply, but I have to watch out. I have to protect my identity as Franz Hopper, and I'll have to encrypt all my work down at the supercomputer. Maybe it's best that I work on my anti-Carthage program at the Hermitage, out of my working hours. At any rate, it's absolutely necessary that I stall for time. If I'm not careful, I could end up in their hands before the end of the year.

I plan on hiding my diary in a rented train station locker, and the key in a place they would never dream of. At least, as long as they don't take my dear Aelita...

And, most of all, I need an escape plan. But I think I might have one.

The original plans for the supercomputer had a room with a strange dematerialization chamber. I didn't know what they were for, but now I suspect they were made to study matter, in an attempt to use Project Carthage to manipulate atoms and materialize things. By dematerializing something and studying its data structure on the supercomputer, it might be possible to replicate the structures on the real world.

Well, they'd never find me living as a data structure on a supercomputer. That's it. I've got it. A virtual world. Another reality.

I'll arrange for the building of two more "scanners"... for Aelita and Anthea, should she ever return. Then, I'll begin building it. Our world, our reality, where we'll live forever, free from Carthage and from all the dangers of this place.

I think I'll call it... 'Lyoko'. It's the japanese word for 'travel'. Because it will be our last trip from this world.

I shouldn't spend so much time writing this. They might find out. My eyes have to be as sharp as ever.

* * *

 **JANUARY 11TH, 1990...**


	7. August 21st, 1975

**WALDO SCHAEFFER'S DIARY**

 **AUGUST 21ST, 1975**

* * *

I'm so happy. It's been a week since I married the love of my life. It's like all of my failures up until now have been erased.

Anthea Hopper. She's simply so lovely. I still don't understand why she'd ever fall for someone like me... but I'm so glad she did.

It was like I never got to do anything right in my life. That's how I felt before her. You see... my father never wanted me to follow his career. "Technology will just get your head spinning, Waldo.", but what else could I do? It's all I knew how to do. It was all he ever did at home. It was all he ever taught me to do.

Anthea studied Mathematics, and yet she's more down-to-earth than me.

Around the 60s, I met this weird guy. His name was Ted something, I don't remember. He was writing a book about hypertext, something he had come up with. He had a project for some digital text repository that would revolutionize the way we read and publish things. Project Xanadu, like in that poem. I was convinced to join his project, hoping that I would get fame and recognition, but it was another disappointment and failure. They had no organization whatsoever.

Then I started working for the government. My father was as mad as he could be. He'd always give me sermons on how I had blood in my hands for helping them with the war. I didn't even know anything. I just sat behind computers and typewriters all day long. I still do, in fact.

But I think that might change now that I'm with Anthea. We met during a vacation trip to Canada, and turns out she didn't live very far from here. I'm not good with words, but she knows how much I love her.

Anyway, I hope they go easier on me now that I'm a married man. And that the war's over, too. I think I might finally get a break, if the relations with the USSR keep easing out. We're planning on having our honeymoon on my father's old winter home in Switzerland. We should have gone already, but work is keeping us. I hope she likes the place as much as I do.

* * *

 **AUGUST 26TH, 1975...**


	8. Briefing 3925

**PROJECT CARTHAGE**

 **BRIEFING #3925**

 **JUNE 7TH, 1994**

* * *

Waldo Schaeffer has disappeared. The supercomputer has been shut down. It seems all our work with Project Carthage is suddenly gone.

We had recently discovered that Waldo had been living as "Franz Hopper", a science teacher at the nearby Kadic Academy. It seems he had secret escape routes through the sewers near the school and his house in the woods. His daughter, Aelita Schaeffer, was not enrolled at the school. The principal, Jean-Pierre Delmas, seemed not to know anything about "Franz's" real identity.

Waldo had some fallbacks with Carthage's directives back in 1989. His wife, Anthea Schaeffer, was taken in by our agents for interrogation. It was then decided to use her as blackmail against Waldo, who was kept under stricter surveillance since then. However, since he was the only one in our team who knew how to operate the supercomputer, although he was always being watched by our agents, we could not certify ourselves of the work he had been doing on the computer.

Then, suddenly, he disappeared without a trace sometime during June 6th. We also have not had any success locating his daughter. Energy failures and spikes were reported in town around 3PM. Today, we found the supercomputer deactivated, and were unable to turn it back on, even using the manual override start procedures.

We must not yet give up on Carthage, but we are ready to declare it a failure if it is necessary. It would be a shame to let this all go, but it will be no more than a record stored away in secret files. No one must know that Carthage ever existed.

Perhaps, in the future, we might be able to use whatever still can be salvaged of the Project to continue it.

* * *

 **BRIEFING #3926...**


	9. May 7th, 1992

**FRANZ HOPPER'S DIARY**

 **MAY 7TH, 1992**

* * *

I have been able to work largely unsuspected for the last two years, although I feel that I am being watched everywhere I go. I have taken a leave from Kadic, partly to avoid suspicion and partly to work full-time on Carthage (well, at least that's what they think).

I am now working on two different, but intertwined projects. The first one is Lyoko, our hope for refuge for all this madness. So far, I plan it to be a simulated virtual environment where Aelita and I can live without worry or danger. So far, I have succeeded on making its core, where all the data is stored, but still haven't started work on the environments or even the creation of the virtual avatars. I fear that I might not have enough time.

My second project is what shall put an end to the madness of Carthage. If they ever attempt to use it, they shall surely fail.

Basically, it is an artificial intelligence with advanced learning capabilities. Perhaps it should be best to call it a 'he'. He will work as a multi-agent program, that is, operating from various locations and spots in the virtual and real world. Thos locations will be the link between the real world and Lyoko. His role is to simply disrupt the use of Project Carthage; if they ever attempt to manipulate electromagnetical impulses on the real world, my AI should be able to detect it and counter the impulses, operating not from one spot, but from several.

It's sort of like a Carthage for Carthage. Maybe I should call him Project Rome.

Or... Xanadu, like that other project. Like the poem. Xana, to keep it short and clean.

* * *

 **MAY 10TH, 1992...**


	10. June 6th, 1994

**FRANZ HOPPER'S DIARY**

 **JUNE 6TH, 1994**

* * *

I have discovered something amazing about the supercomputer. An incredible feature I have called the "Return to the Past".

Not that the computer actually has the power to manipulate time. But that is merely a trifling detail, for what is time? In a physical sense, I mean. Does it exist? Does it pass? Does it flow? Is time a fluid, or a mere illusion?

If everything is exactly as it was, has time really passed?

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, has it really fallen down?

You see, it's not as much as rewinding time as... restoring a backup. But a backup of the world. Well, the world in the sense of what we know. Not the universe. Just about everything that happens around the surface of the Earth.

Well, yes, I suppose that would create anomalies in our astronomical observation. But for such large-scale events, it's not that hard to rewind time. It's a bit different for what we have here.

You see, the supercomputer keeps a record, or a log, of everything that is happening on the planet, a sort of a "save file", if you're into that sort of thing. Using tremendous amounts of its power to manipulate the very structure of all electromagnetical impulses, energy, and matter, it is possible to recreate the world entirely as it were twenty-four hours before. The twenty-four hour bit is only necessary because of the actual astronomical time-rewinding. A rather troublesome detail, but a detail at best.

And as such, it also recreates the memory of people as if what has happened had actually never happened. But it is possible to program it as to leave my memory unaffected, and, as such, this is my gateway to freedom. It should give me all the time I need to finish Lyoko and XANA, seeing as the agents will never be able to catch me. All my progress, my last stand, it will all be done today, June 6th, no matter how many days it takes.

There has been only one small matter I have noticed. Even though the supercomputer is capable of restoring consciousness to a previous state, it is not actually able to recreate conciousness. As such, someone who is dead will remain dead when time is rewinded. I have noticed this looking at the obituary for June 5th after the return trip, noticing it included people who had died on the 6th. This could be potentially disastrous; however, I have programmed the function so that the body is kept as it is that is, preserving the cause of death. This should avoid any potential mystery regarding suddenly dead people with no apparent reason.

* * *

 **JUNE 6TH, 1994, DAY 2...**


	11. Day 1381

**FRANZ HOPPER'S DIARY**

 **JUNE 6TH, 1994, DAY 1381**

* * *

I feel like, with every return to the past, XANA becomes more powerful, and I descend more into madness. I should have seen this coming.

Linking XANA to Lyoko might have been a mistake. My plan was for Aelita and I to have absolute control of Lyoko and the supercomputer. We would have its codes, its keys. Lyoko would hold the "towers" to the real world, access points from where XANA could stop Project Carthage.

The problem is that apparently I made XANA a curious AI. He was able to access the log files from the return to the past, and, in doing that, he gained knowledge from the real world. In fact, it seems that with every return to the past, not only does he gain more insight in the world, but he also increases his processing power. I fear that I might have created something worse than Carthage itself.

XANA has not yet achieved self-consciousness, and I do not even know if such a thing is even possible, but I fear it. He has been attempting to create his own virtual lifeforms on Lyoko. This shows that he already knows enough that he holds some of the supercomputer's codes. Not all of them, like me and Aelita, but, since we haven't entered Lyoko yet, he has acknowledged himself as the master of that world.

Maybe it would only be natural that, once he realizes his power to act in this world, he would also seek to try and be the master of our world too.

Dear Lord. I have to stop this madness. But I can't. It seems as if my memory isn't holding anymore. I don't know if the return to the past has been actually damaging my brains, or if it's just my regular paranoia. But I can't. I need time, and I have it. Carthage is more dangerous. I think. I can deal with XANA once I'm safe in Lyoko. Except maybe I won't be safe there anymore.

I didn't want to start another war. I could just erase him, but that would mean years of progress in Lyoko gone. Well, I suppose I still have all the years I could have today. But what if it takes too long to delete him, and he realizes it? I'd be done for. I can't go against him.

Maybe this supercomputer needs to be destroyed after all. I could just set a bomb in here, end it all. XANA. Carthage. Myself. All of it, gone, forever. It would be so easy. An easy solution to a complex problem.

But... I just can't. How will Aelita live after that? God, they might even take her in too. I can't. I have to protect Aelita. I must. Until the end. I'm going to have to keep doing this. Working against XANA, against time, against Carthage, against myself. God knows how long today will last.

* * *

 **JUNE 6TH, 1994, DAY 1382...**


	12. Day 2545

**FRANZ HOPPER'S DIARY**

 **JUNE 6TH, 1994, DAY 2545**

* * *

This is it. I can't go on anymore. I can't hide like this. I feel like the agents are going to knock on my door tomorrow. I've been trying to avoid it... God knows how much time I've spent in here. But eventually, I'll have to face reality. I made three scanners. I don't know if I'll ever see Anthea again. But we have to escape. I'll take Aelita.

My only fear is having to confront XANA once I'm in there. He isn't capable of speech, and yet he seems awfully... resistant to the idea of us being there, on Lyoko.

The mere mention of it in this diary is enough to send pulsations all over that virtual world. But it doesn't matter, at least not to the world. Only to me and Aelita. Carthage is no more. Not only did I make XANA in order to counter it, he managed to destroy all of Carthage's source codes. All that's left is the little I wrote of it on the official files.

Then again, what I fear is that I may have created something worse than Carthage. Not satisfied with having destroyed it, XANA appears to extend his control more and more. Over the last few days, I had to shut down the supercomputer's and Lyoko's access to the network. Granted that I'd need to do that anyway, to hide all my traces, but there was a real danger of XANA... escaping.

God, I don't know it anymore. What have I done? What am I going to do?

I thought I could live peacefully with Aelita in Lyoko! We would be the absolute masters of the world!

And now I see I will be little more than just another prisoner. But there is no other option. We must hide in Lyoko. I just know these agents are going to knock on my door tomorrow.

I have put the 'keys' to Lyoko in Aelita's and my digital signature. This shall give us all the powers we need to fight XANA once we're in there. That means reshaping Lyoko, closing his connection to the real world, by towers or network, and even shutting off the supercomputer from inside. We possess in our hands the code of Lyoko.

All of the source files and restricted information have been sealed away in Lyoko's core, the fifth sector. XANA has limited access there, and the files are to be manipulated only by the two of us.

...I couldn't do anything for Anthea. I hope she'll forgive me, wherever she is.

I shall try and negotiate with XANA, but I believe he is already sufficiently out of my control. If everything fails, I shall shut down the supercomputer and this whole complex at once. I have also programmed a lock, that, in case of a shutdown, it will not be able to be turned back on until five years have passed. It should be enough time to keep us safe from the agents.

And it will lock me and Aelita here forever. We will not be dead. Just escaped into the network. Which, for practical effects, is almost the same. But we will still persist in this world, should somebody ever find us. I hope they never do. It would mean finding XANA as well.

It's time. I'll launch my final return to the past. May God help me.

Aelita. Anthea. Know that I've always loved you.

* * *

 **...JUNE 6TH, 1994, DAY 2456...**


	13. Closing Comments

**PROJECT CARTHAGE**

 **CLOSING COMMENTS**

* * *

Project Carthage has resulted in a total failure. We were unable to turn the supercomputer back on or to salvage any of its data. We were unable to find Waldo Schaeffer, alias Franz Hopper, and, even though we suspected he had something to do with all of it, his wife, Anthea, had nothing to say on the matter.

We plan on removing the bridge access to Isle Seguin shortly. Anthea shall be subjected to experimental psychiatric treatment in order to erase her memories of Carthage, and then given a new life in Canada, although still under some degree of surveillance. All files regarding Carthage shall also be marked for purging.

No word of this must leak.

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S CLOSING COMMENTS: So, this was a rather short story, but I'm happy with how it turned out. The initial concept was developing a backstory for Project Carthage (Sophie Decroisette says they have one written, they just never showed anyone) without straying too far from the original canon, although there were some modifications. For example, Carthage started in 74, but I changed it to 80 for political reasons (that was another element Sophie implied to be in the backstory). Also, Franz moved to the Hermitage and started working on the supercomputer only after Anthea was taken, but I wondered: "how would he get all the materials to build a supercomputer like that?", and so figured he was there for Carthage. There's somewhat of an inconsistency regarding his new identity, but that's just bad writing on my part. But besides that, pretty much everything else stays true to canon. I hope you've liked it!**


End file.
